Tourism: the good and the Bad.
Being a Tourist in Tuscany
9/11/20253 min read
You probably guessed correctly...we are in Italy, or amongst the rolling hills of Tuscany to be more precise. We came by sea from Barcelona, which saved a lot of driving , arriving in the port of Civitavecchia. However much reluctance I may feel about joining the tourist crowds, I cannot help but be seduced by the beauty of the landscape, and the magnificence of Italian architecture here. Whilst staying in an 'agri-tourismo '' amongst the vineyards and olive groves of the countryside, we have also visited some renowned towns , such as Montepulciano, Pienza, Cortona and Castigliano del Lago. All of these are brimful of tourists who throng the streets and alleyways, restaurants and parking lots, speaking in many different languages: French , German, and Dutch, not to mention English with its British, Australian and American variations. We form quite an international brigade. But , even though we are in the middle of Italy, I rarely hear Italian spoken. Even the waiters and shopkeepers we come across, readily speak English or German with expertise. The only exception we experienced, was in the beautiful lakeside town of Castigliano del Lago. Here, most of the visitors who strolled the streets and gazed at the lake with its mountains beyond, were Italian. It made such a refreshing change. But I can't help asking , how do the local Italians feel about having their towns invaded by us all...hence my feeling of " reluctant tourism."
So: what brings us all flocking to Italy? I suppose the reasons are as varied as we ourselves are, but let us look at some of the things that are on offer to us as we stroll the streets. Do we really want to buy garish socks with English captions, and plastic windmills? Some people obviously do!
Fortunately, some of the shops stock more aesthetic things, which illustrate the best of Italian craftmanship, textiles, and fashions. Moreover, this region is overflowing with good food and wine . The Montepulciano area is famous for its vino nobile, made with 100% sangiovese grapes. There also fine salamis, and prosciutto hams to enjoy as well as its fine cheeses, such as the many types of pecorino cheese, which are made around Pienza. In this beautiful town we discovered charming food stores where we readily bought some wines and cheeses...delicioso!
I was intrigued by this old bookshop, and by some of the traditional wooden toys for sale too.
Of course , no visit to Italy would be complete without a visit to one its fine gelateria. Buon Apetito!
Whilst we have jostled with the crowds, and fought for parking places, we have also enjoyed gazing at beautiful landscapes, and magnificent buildings. In Pienza, which is a Unesco heritage sight, it rained heavily. But even that could not detract from the beauty around us. Tomorrow we move on to Florence, hoping to enjoy the ultimate in Renaissance art and architecture. But I know only too well that the nature of tourism has changed since we were there exactly fifty years ago. Will I be able to gaze at Boticelli's 'Birth of Venus' alone, as I did back then, or will I have to face a crowd of people taking 'selfies.' I shall report back in my next blog.
